I dont usually rant/vent about eBay buyers, so please indulge me this one time.
nam812
Posts: 10,601 ✭✭✭✭✭
My eBay sales are infrequent enough so that my feedback dribbles in kinda slow, and I can pretty much tell who gives me less than 5 stars in any of the 4 DSR's. I was a pretty good at customer service before eBay changed it's feedback policy, but since then I have gotten even better (so maybe it has helped sellers tighten up their act somewhat). Like most sellers I ship within 24 hours of payment, leave feedback immediately, and then I email the buyer a tracking number when I return from the post office. All that has helped me to have a 5.0, 5.0, 5.0, and 4.9 (the 4.9 is for shipping fees and I use free shipping, so go figure). Yesterday I noticed I got a new feedback, and that my "shipping time" stars had dropped to 4.9 After seeing that I looked into the transaction, and this is what I emailed the buyer:
Was there a particular reason that you only gave me 4 stars for shipping time? You won the card on Sunday December 21st and I mailed your card the very next morning on Monday December 22nd from New York. Even in the thick of the Christmas mail season you still received it all the way across the country in California in just 2 days on Wednesday December 24th.
His response:
You are correct, I had received 4 cards on the 24th and got confused when I was leaving feedback. Three of the four cards did not deserve 5 stars. Sorry for the mix up.
While his response was apologetic, I wanted him to understand that he needs to pay more attention to detail in the future, and that his careless actions have affects on others, so I responded with this:
And it didn't matter to you in the least to look into who gave you the poor customer service? Your "confusion" can cost good sellers like me money since eBay rewards it's sellers that have 4.9 and above in all 4 categories with large final value fee discounts. What might not matter to you can matter a great deal to others.
Then I blocked him of course.
I know storm888 will say that most buyers do not want to learn lessons, and that I should have just blocked him and moved on, but it made me feel a little better telling the buyer all that. I understand that this is a very minor thing, but for some reason it was really bugging me. Thanks for letting me vent.
Was there a particular reason that you only gave me 4 stars for shipping time? You won the card on Sunday December 21st and I mailed your card the very next morning on Monday December 22nd from New York. Even in the thick of the Christmas mail season you still received it all the way across the country in California in just 2 days on Wednesday December 24th.
His response:
You are correct, I had received 4 cards on the 24th and got confused when I was leaving feedback. Three of the four cards did not deserve 5 stars. Sorry for the mix up.
While his response was apologetic, I wanted him to understand that he needs to pay more attention to detail in the future, and that his careless actions have affects on others, so I responded with this:
And it didn't matter to you in the least to look into who gave you the poor customer service? Your "confusion" can cost good sellers like me money since eBay rewards it's sellers that have 4.9 and above in all 4 categories with large final value fee discounts. What might not matter to you can matter a great deal to others.
Then I blocked him of course.
I know storm888 will say that most buyers do not want to learn lessons, and that I should have just blocked him and moved on, but it made me feel a little better telling the buyer all that. I understand that this is a very minor thing, but for some reason it was really bugging me. Thanks for letting me vent.
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Comments
Steve
In short, I completely understand how you feel. Many buyers leave feedback without realizing the impact it can have. Furthermore, those not leaving feedback at all also have a negative impact (as I learned that you have to have a minimum # feedbacks left in a month to qualify for discounts).
Edit: Your shipping fees star is down to 4.7!
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>4.9 is about as good as it gets once you accumulate 100+ ratings. I don't think anyone really pays attention to anything under a 4.5, but ebay can hold payments if it drops to a certain level (avg. below 4.6?). I wouldn't sweat it. At least he didn't leave a neg by mistake..
It isnt a big deal, but it definitely matters. I get 20% off my final value fees for having over 4.9 in all 4 DSR's, and then another 20% off my final value fees for offering free shipping. That's 40% off, 20% of which I dont want to lose cause someone said "ooops, sorry."
<< <i>.....Your shipping fees star is down to 4.7!
That's nam812, I dont sell much under that name anymore.
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I think you did fine; as long as you understand that the message
likely helped you more than it did the JERK.
One thing that has been working a little is for sellers to leave instant
FB with the phrase "FIVE-STAR Buyer" or "5-STAR EBAYer" in the message.
While I personally NEVER communicate with the JERK-buyers - unless they
are trying to steal - I understand that it feels good to tell them how you
feel.
Hopefully, I will not need EBAY by late summer. New venues and free-standing
sites are the final solution to the monster-creatures that EBAY allows to masquerade
as buyers.
Agreed. And I can understand your point, Nick. IMO, this whole DSR discount thing is total BS for that reason. There are many exceptional sellers with a 4.7, and lousy sellers with 4.8 or 4.9. The whole concept of the DSR ratings is ridiculous, as the ratings are often meaningless (like your 4.9 for free shipping).
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
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I do "free" shipping, too.
Some of my S/H Cost stars are as low as 4.5.
In collectibles, where I seldom sell, my S/H cost
star is always 4.8 or 4.9. Collectors REALLY ARE
the best EBAY buyers. (The other categories are
full of SCUMMY "buyers.")
As long as EBAY tells buyers that 4-stars is "good," there
is no real solution to the problem.
EBAY has started displaying a "reminder" for buyers on the
FB-page: "This seller offered free shipping in this transaction."
That may help, as time passes.
<< <i>I don't know much about selling on ebay........... >>
That's OK, buyers can take away some valuable knowledge from my OP too.
Collecting 1970s Topps baseball wax, rack and cello packs, as well as PCGS graded Half Cents, Large Cents, Two Cent pieces and Three Cent Silver pieces.
<< <i>I'm sorry this happened to you.
Steve >>
Man, that is funny. Nick uses this one all the time and has used it on me before.
<< <i>Nam, you're such a whiner.... >>
I never saw winner spelled with an h in it before. Very cool, thanks.
<< <i>No one cares. >>
What are you doing here Lee, I thought you had a new job at some greasy spoon in Maryland? Did someone here order fries and a coke?
Thanks for educating us buyers on what the DSR means. Storm888 is the one that taught me how to leave appropriate feedback, but nam12 just enforced those ideas.
BST: Tennessebanker, Downtown1974, LarkinCollector, nendee
<Did someone here order fries and a coke?>
it was me nick- i ordereredsome fries with that shake
by the way...
stop harassing people after they leave you feedback...
all so you can save a few bucks... its all about you isnt it...
Looking for 1970 MLB Photostamps
- uncut
Positive Transactions - tennesseebanker, Ahmanfan, Donruss, Colebear, CDsNuts, rbdjr1, Downtown1974, yankeeno7, drewsef, mnolan, mrbud60, msassin, RipublicaninMass, AkbarClone, rustywilly, lsutigers1973, julen23 and nam812, plus many others...
I honestly dont rush out to mail stuff for folks. I tell them up front i ship 2 days a week, unless i happen to have an extra day off and i have the time. I do free shipping on buy it nows that are pricey, but i always charge extra for insurance. on lower priced items, ive raised my shipping prices $1 or $2 and my stars have gone up.
I really think good communication is the key, i email them along the way; when they win, and after I ship; with the tracking number. And Im in no hurry to leave feedback; sometimes i do it all at once or sometimes they leave feedback first. I have enough repeat customers at this point that my stars are 4.8 and 4.9 in every category.
Face it, Ebay is the Devil and we've made a deal with him.
Steve
<< <i>Do nam and CDsNuts really hate eachother?
No, they're former best friends who fell in love with the same woman at the National card convention. It'll work itself out.
<< <i>
<< <i>Do nam and CDsNuts really hate eachother?
No, they're former best friends who fell in love with the same woman at the National card convention. It'll work itself out. >>
Rosie O'Donnell was at the show?
I can't wait for you to come down here and try the food; I'm going to pee in your Shepard's Pie.
<< <i>I can't wait for you to come down here and try the food; I'm going to pee in your Shepard's Pie. >>
What if my Shepard doesn't order pie?
Looking for 1970 MLB Photostamps
- uncut
Positive Transactions - tennesseebanker, Ahmanfan, Donruss, Colebear, CDsNuts, rbdjr1, Downtown1974, yankeeno7, drewsef, mnolan, mrbud60, msassin, RipublicaninMass, AkbarClone, rustywilly, lsutigers1973, julen23 and nam812, plus many others...
<< <i>I find it annoying that you have to go out of your way to leave the best feedback. I think it should be the other way around, with everything loaded up to five stars. The buyer that wants to be crappy about things should be the only one who has to go and re-adjust the DSRs. Maybe less people would act nasty. >>
I swear that took me 6 reads to decipher (no lie), but I do finally understand what you mean.
Steve
Ya, I meant a guy should only have to leave a comment and push enter. And the ratings would all be set to very satisfied or very good, whatever.
Making the ratings a pain in the butt to leave, only encourages people to be shiddy.
I find nasty people are often lazy, and if they have to go the extra mile to be nasty, they might be to lazy, and not bother???
OK, decipher that.